Xiaomi marks its U.Okay. debut with the Mi Eight Professional launch and first London retailer

Xiaomi marked its official entry into the U.Okay. immediately with the launch of the Mi Eight Professional, a smartphone with a 6.21-inch display screen, alongside a spread of different merchandise, together with the Mi 8, Redmi 6A smartphone, the Xiaomi Band Three health tracker, and the Mi electrical scooter.

Although Xiaomi has been largely targeted on its native China and different Asian markets, together with India, the corporate has been steadily rolling out a spread of merchandise to new areas, together with Latin America and elements of northern and japanese Europe. It’s not but promoting telephones within the U.S., however it’s promoting different merchandise, corresponding to set-top packing containers.

Xiaomi formally entered the western European market final November, beginning with Spain, which was adopted by France and Italy earlier this 12 months. Although Xiaomi merchandise have been straightforward sufficient to purchase within the U.Okay. by third-party sellers prior to now, immediately represents the primary stage in a serious U.Okay. push, which is able to embody a brick-and-mortar Mi Retailer in Westfield London that is because of open on November 18.

Mi Eight Professional

Above: Wang Xiang from Xiaomi

Presenting to a packed crowd within the U.Okay. capital immediately, Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Eight Professional for the primary time outdoors China.

The Chinese language smartphone large first debuted the Mi Eight Professional alongside the Mi Eight Lite in China two months in the past, following the Mi Eight launch again in Might. However immediately represents step one in a world rollout for the Mi Eight Professional, which is able to embody Europe and most certainly the U.S. Certainly, Xiaomi revealed earlier this 12 months that it could quickly launch within the U.S. smartphone market, and simply yesterday it introduced an occasion in New York subsequent month.

“In the present day we witness a brand new chapter in Xiaomi’s world growth journey, underpinned by our world ambitions,” mentioned the corporate’s senior VP, Wang Xiang.

With a worth beginning at £499 ($653), the Mi Eight Professional may be very a lot pitched on the inexpensive finish of the flagship spectrum, and it’s extra in step with OnePlus’ pricing construction than Huawei’s. Put merely, the Xiaomi Mi Eight Professional may be very competitively priced, which means that the corporate goes to push onerous for brand spanking new clients on its U.Okay. debut.

The gadget sports activities a clear glass again design so you may see contained in the cellphone.

Above: Mi Eight Professional

As is the case with a rising variety of smartphones, together with these from OnePlus and Huawei, it options an in-screen fingerprint scanner to unlock the gadget. And sure, it additionally has a giant ol’ notch.

Above: Xiaomi Mi Eight Professional

By way of different specs, the Mi Eight Professional has pretty top-of-the-range innards, together with a Snapdragon 845 chip, AI-infused twin digicam lenses, and infrared (IR) face-unlock. It additionally comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage. However in comparison with different units which have gone to market lately, it has a comparatively small battery at simply 3,000 mAh.

Going world

Xiaomi has been pushing onerous to make its mark outdoors China in all method of product verticals, and final 12 months it knocked Samsung off the highest spot for smartphone gross sales in India. At present, Xiaomi’s ranked fourth globally when it comes to shipments, and it formally sells in 74 markets.

In 2018 to this point it has shipped north of 100 million smartphones, with its Mi Eight lineup of telephones serving as a “main contributor” to this determine, based on a press release from the corporate.

Elsewhere immediately, Xiaomi additionally launched the £99 ($130) finances Redmi 6A cell phone, the £27 ($35) Xiaomi Band 3, and the £399 ($523) Mi electrical scooter, which is already in the stores within the U.S.